Photo taken in the Baldy Mountain Roadless area

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Beautiful as usual. What altitude is this at. So far here in Niagara we haven’t had anything approaching a frost yet. Have a great Columbus day. For those of us in the peaceful part of North America it is thanksgiving today and a huge turkey dinner to look forward to. I just wish I could do more than look at it and smell it. Oh well home made turkey soup for later in the week.

What an extraordinary tree! Well, trees, actually. They all have that reaching-for-the-sky look. I can almost imagine them waving their hands to the snow clouds saying, “Me first! Me! Give ME a dusting of snow!”

I think it is called that because it only lives from an elevation of about 6000 feet up to tree line, above which of course no trees grow and I think that is called the “alpine climate” region. Right at timber line, it grows as as a prostrate shrub.

Hi Montucky, Those spires sure remind me of the Sitka Spruce way up in Alaska. Similar shaped trees. Your shot is lovely. The trees are lovely. Makes me want to hike. I did exactly that a week ago but it was a quick short walk in the Smoky Mountains. Have an excellent coming week!

That shape is a very successful survival strategy for where they live. It also does something not common among trees. Sometimes near timber line its lower branches will take root resulting in vegetative reproduction. I’ve seen some that are doing this further up the mountain. They look like they have huge skirts.

Hobblebush does that too – that is, its branches take root creating loops that could trip a horse (and thus the name). I didn’t know firs did it as well. When Hobblebush does it, it looks more like concertina wire than skirts.

They do have a dramatic look to them. It is the most widespread true fir in western North America, partly because its shape gives it an advantage over other trees in heavy snow regions, and also because the climate areas where it grows and the terrain in those areas makes development and exploitation very difficult.

I love the tall pointy firs and spruces of the north! Reaching for sunlight and staying narrow to reduce snow load is part of their incredible adaptations for the northern climate. What a wonderful picture, shows how nature works and its absolute beauty!

We are closer together in mid-summer, aren’t we. In winter, poles apart. I do remember driving into Dallas one year, about 1973 I think it was, in the middle of a big ice storm though. Seemed strange to have the road all to myself!

Very freshening to see firs (I am surrounded by pines) also and this one is mighty. Sorry being so late to comment Your posts, but yesterday after publishing new post, we decided to leave to my late father’s cottage (one way 186 miles). The reason to that was simple: No rain, although “weather prophets” were predicting rain the previous day.